A joint commission of the Lithuanian parliament and the World Lithuanian Community has adopted six resolutions, including a call for state leaders to treat the retention of birthright citizenship as a national security issue.
“Lithuania is a nation with a large diaspora and, as the national security and geopolitical situation becomes more complex, it especially needs as many civic-minded, patriotic and active citizens as possible,” said Tomas Girnius on Friday.
The commission said dual citizenship rules should be expanded, including a proposal to amend the Law on Citizenship to allow Lithuanians who have completed or are currently serving mandatory initial military service in another country to retain their Lithuanian citizenship.
Under the current Constitution, no one may hold citizenship of both Lithuania and another state, except in narrowly defined cases. As a result, many who emigrated after independence was restored on March 11, 1990, are barred from holding dual citizenship.
Two referendums have been held to change the constitutional provision to broaden dual citizenship rights. Both won majority support but failed to meet the turnout threshold required for constitutional amendment.
In another resolution, the commission urged the government and parliament to involve Lithuanians in Poland in civil resistance preparations, including contingency planning for possible evacuations through the Suwałki Gap and increased preparedness among border communities.
“We suggest that Lithuanian communities in Poland, Germany, Latvia and Estonia organise training for potential evacuation, information sharing and coordination of joint actions,” said Jonas Vydra.
A separate document adopted by the World Lithuanian Community calls for stronger efforts to preserve national identity abroad and for diaspora programs to be tailored to the specific needs of different communities based on distance, demographics and local conditions.
The resolutions also urge ministries to create a dedicated online resource for people of Lithuanian heritage who do not speak the language, as well as a centralised information platform on education and culture for diaspora communities and schools.
Additional proposals include measures to encourage return migration, such as expanded internship opportunities for Lithuanians living abroad, faster recognition of foreign qualifications and improved access to social security benefits for those with extended work histories outside Lithuania.
The commission also called for increased funding for diaspora policy programs and for resources to support the World Lithuanian Symposium on Arts and Sciences scheduled for October 2027.
